I just returned home from dropping the children at school for their first day of school. My house is strangely quiet. As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, this was not a big year for us. I have not been emotional. The kids are thrilled to no longer be the youngest in their respective classes (Montessori puts three ages together. We are now '2nd Years.') I woke up a few minutes before them today and had a pleasant coffee & prayer induced attitude as we went though the morning routine. We listened to pop music with the volume turned high on the way to school. Everything was smooth, easy and fun.
Until I walked them in.
As I was watching R put his lunchbox in his familiar cubby, a lump quickly arose in my throat and my eyes welled with tears. I started crying. It was so unexpected!
Driving home I thought about why the first day is tear inducing--even when you aren't feeling particularly sappy or sad. I realized that, for me, it simply serves as a tangible representation of the passing of time.
Watching other students stream in I kept thinking Wow. He/She looks so big. They have grown so much this Summer. And then I realized that other parents were thinking the same thing about my children. Changes are happening before our very eyes and are so easy to miss even when we are trying our best to savor the moments.
A new school year serves as a snap shot, a new dot on the timeline of life, representing that the days turn into months, and far too quickly years.
UPDATED TO ADD: My friend, Sally, e-mailed this prayer to me this afternoon and I loved it so much I couldn't help but pass it along.
Here we are again, Lord. Their backpacks are loaded and their faces are scrubbed and their lunch accounts are full.
And I know you'll walk with them, Lord. You always do. But a mom still has to ask.
Will You walk with them? Will You whisper to them what they need to hear, when I'm not there to whisper it?
Will You please, oh please, cover their school with the protection only You can give, and will You keep harm far away?
Will You make their minds strong and ready to learn? Will You help them understand that hard work honors the One who created them?
Will You guide their teachers, giving them patience and wisdom and creativity and more patience? Will You bless them for their efforts?
Will You love all those children there, the ones whose lunch accounts aren't full, the ones who feel alone? Will You teach my children to be kind and unselfish and to love those who are different from them?
Will You point them back toward home just as soon as you can?
Lord, I give them to You today and everyday, trusting them to Your care.
Amen.
-Shannon, Rocks In My Dryer
Here we are again, Lord. Their backpacks are loaded and their faces are scrubbed and their lunch accounts are full.
And I know you'll walk with them, Lord. You always do. But a mom still has to ask.
Will You walk with them? Will You whisper to them what they need to hear, when I'm not there to whisper it?
Will You please, oh please, cover their school with the protection only You can give, and will You keep harm far away?
Will You make their minds strong and ready to learn? Will You help them understand that hard work honors the One who created them?
Will You guide their teachers, giving them patience and wisdom and creativity and more patience? Will You bless them for their efforts?
Will You love all those children there, the ones whose lunch accounts aren't full, the ones who feel alone? Will You teach my children to be kind and unselfish and to love those who are different from them?
Will You point them back toward home just as soon as you can?
Lord, I give them to You today and everyday, trusting them to Your care.
Amen.
-Shannon, Rocks In My Dryer
7 comments:
Oh my you are so right. My brother and I are only 16 months apart and we stood in front of the fireplace every year for the first day of school. Looking through those photos takes my mom back to a time that has gone, but that is etched in the memories of our childhood. That is the same house my parents still reside in and even though our family is growing the warmth of my parents home is just that my home. I am glad you are catching these shapshots, but more important you are capturing your children in their timeslines. They will look back as my brother and I do and be so excited to walk down memory lane. Cannot believe they are 5, they are adorable. Praying for a fun filled year!
Blessings,
Ashley
Ooh, it was the same for me. We started a morning carpool with a neighbor who's children's ages and sex mirror mine. Their dad takes the 6th grade girls to their new 6th grade school downtown, blocks away from the bank where he works. I drop off the 3rd grade boys at their new school. In the hustle and excitement I realized I missed the 1st day of school picture and that my daughter left without a hug. [She was so excited she jumped in their car and shut the door before I could grab her.) Watching them make this next step forward leaves a lump in my throat because I am reminded how few steps I have left with them at home. Life is happening too fast!!
What a precious day and prayer. I have pictures of my now-adult children's first days...all the way through high school!! They were good sports about it and I'm so thankful to have the complete set K-12. So much growth each year. Now, I'm on the other side of the classroom door waiting for my little students to come bounding in, usually without a backward glance at their moms tearing up on the sidewalk outside of my room. And I always take a first day picture of each of my students.
I hope it's ok I copied your prayer to send out to my mom's bible study group from our public school.
I love the reminder to think about the families whose lunch accounts aren't full and they don't have a closet full of new school clothes. What a reminder.
Hope the first day went well. We are reshirting our 5 year old too, she just turned 5 in August and I'm in no rush to get her started on the long full days of organized school.
Just wanted to say I can relate. Will started Kindergarten this year at Unity, but he also went to Pre-K there last year, and I really thought of this year as no biggie. Since we'd already had that first time drop off at a new school last year, I have not been emotional AT all. Then, on the first day I told him I was going to park and walk him in and he asked me to just drop him off in the car rider line. I said," but look at all the other mom's walking in with their kids. Wouldn't it be fun If I walked in with you?" and He said, "I really don't need you to walk me in, I can do it all by myself." I felt the tears welling up and knew I would end up a basket case if I did go in, so I said Ok and dropped him off in the car rider line.I then cried all the way home and for about an hour after and then again after I picked him up. I guess that's what I get for thinking it was no big deal.
What an awesome prayer! Thanks for sharing it! It brought tears and my big girls don't even start school for another week. My L does start prek on Monday. Will be back to get that prayer again this week and next.
Such a sweet prayer. School starts (at my Montessori school, too!) in less than three weeks, and I've been blessed to see a few of my students over the summer. It's amazing how fast they grow-- it's bittersweet.
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